Jackie M, Concord

When I was about seven I somehow won a vacuum cleaner – how boring. A few years later the numbers I’d help my mum pick on the lotto won me $24. I decided I wanted a wooden framed tennis racket. Not long after the tennis racket joined my life I whacked myself in the ear trying to serve “the proper way” and permanently squished the top of my ear.

Needless to say my winners luck is pretty...unlucky. I hardly ever win anything useful so when Wendy, from the blog Obese Baby, told me I’d won a competition for a three course dinner for two at the inner west Malaysian eatery, Jackie M I was thrilled! I love Malaysian food and this Concord restaurant has been on my ever growing hit list for months now.

So it goes without saying that this dinner at Jackie M’s was by FAR the BEST thing I’ve ever won...ever.

I knew from my research that Jackie M is only open three nights of the week and that if you don’t book in advance your chances of snagging a table are slim. Whilst the restaurant was fairly empty when we arrived at 6pm, within an hour the joint was packed out.

The food served at Jackie M is fairly authentic hawker style fare which means I can try something new that is not offered at other Malaysian eateries in Sydney. The Popiah ($14 for two piece) is exactly the “something new” I’d been wanting to try. Popiah is an ENORMOUS fresh spring roll filled with shredded yam bean (sarkot), minced dried shrimp mix, egg, lettuce and cucumber. Unlike a Vietnamese fresh spring roll the Popiah is wrapped in a thin pancake type wrap and the taste is fresh, zesty and fabulous.  The shrimp mix adds a slight saltiness. I can’t wait to try Popiah in Singapore when The Boy and I venture there next year.

The Boy sticks with a tried and true favourite and his choice of Chicken Satay ($12.00 for four pieces) didn’t disappoint. The grilled chicken skewers are perfectly grilled, slightly charred, and served with a rich and creamy peanut sauce that we end up eating directly from the bowl once all the skewers have been devoured.

Next up is a bowl of the most delicious Beef Rendang ($17.00) that I think I’ve ever had – even better (dare I say it) than the offering at Temasek (or the packet mix I make at home).

The Beef Rendang sauce at Jackie M is quite thick and dry, with a good spicy kick. The beef is so tender it falls apart at the touch of our forks. We have the Rendang with a side of Jasmine Rice ($3.50) and a flaky, buttery, fluffy Roti as I can’t have a Rendang with a Roti to help mop up the sauce.

By this point our stomachs are straining and we still have one more main meal to go. Char Kway Teow ($14.00, plus $4.00 for chicken) is a stir fried rice noodle dish that is served with a tumble of bean sprouts, chives, garlic and egg and it is DELICIOUS! The noodles are amazingly smoky and we end up fishing the entire plate despite being at bursting point.

I passed up dessert in favour of an Ais Cendol drink ($7.00) – a cold drink of coconut milk, green worms (or noodles made from made from rice flour and coloured with pandan leaf), shaved ice and palm sugar. I like that Jackie M’s Cendol is served without red beans as I’ve got issues with red beans in general. I also struggle with the sweet corn that seems to be prominent in many Asian desserts – but that’s a whole other blog post!

The Boy proves his dessert stomach is superior to mine and tucks into a Banana Roti ($14.50). I managed to fit in a piece...or three, and this dessert was amazing. Flaky Roti stuffed with sweet bananas, drizzled with condensed milk and served with a scoop of ice-cream. YUM!

We leave the restaurant fatter than when we arrived and bursting with foodie happiness as we’re clutching two take home packs of frozen Rendang ($8.90 per pack) so we can keep the Rendang love alive at home.

Jackie M is at 85 Majors Bay Road, Concord. The restaurant is only open on Thursday, Friday and Saturday nights so plan ahead so you don’t miss out.